AN OUTDATED RATING SYSTEM?

How many times have you been to a three star hotel and found it far more comfortable than the previous four or five star you stayed in? The rating system is no longer relevant to your comfort, but whether the rooms have a hairdryer screwed to the bathroom wall, or a colour television bolted at a precarious angle over the starched sheets that give your tired legs a serious work out just untucking them when you climb into bed.

This is especially true in France and Provence, where a 4 or 5 star hotel can be a completely soulless place to stay and where you might find more of a welcome at the most simple of chambres d'hotes (the french term for bed and breakfast). The so called top class hotels, however well they are managed, will always lack the ambience of a true home from home.

Which is exactly what we are trying to achieve at Le Foulon - a dream home away from the ordinary, but a home nonetheless. Traditional luxury hotels just don't give you a sense of ownership - you are simply another booking passing through, however well looked after.

We recently realised that we must be on the right track here when several of the ladies staying with us came down to breakfast in pajamas and dressing gowns, hair all ruffled and without a care in the world. Try doing that at the Hilton (and feeling comfortable with it!).

We may never be categorised by the French authorities as a luxury hotel. We may never achieve that 5th star, but quite frankly we don't care. We decided a proper hairdryer in one of the dressing table drawers was much better than one bolted next to a steamed up bathroom mirror. We also decided that a TV in the room goes against everything we're trying to achieve, and if you want to decipher a French game show whilst getting neck ache from some terrible pillows then may we recommend a 4 star down the road!

We know what makes a great place to stay - and we trust this web site, the pictures and description we provide, will be enough to convince you we know what we're talking about.

If you are looking for a 4 or 5 star hotel (four or five star hotel) in these places then consider Le Foulon - Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Monaco, Grasse, Paris, New York or London.